The present invention is generally related to the use of optical drive laser sources and is more specifically related to the use of optical drive laser sources in relatively low temperature and/or low temperature variation environments.
In virtually all optical disk drives to date, light is provided by a source laser located inside the drive. The laser is located in a physically warm place inside the drive and is fairly inaccessible. In such prior art drives a great deal of effort is devoted to providing adequate heat dissipation such that heat buildup and/or heat variations within the optical drive will not affect the operating wavelength of the laser. Heat buildup and/or heat variations may likewise shorten the lifetime of the laser, which would then require significant effort to remove and replace from within the sealed enclosure that it is disposed.
What is needed, therefore, is a method and apparatus such that the aforementioned limitations of the prior art are addressed.